Depth finder inop
 

The depth finder on my z240 Talari flashes "0". I wanted to see if anyone had troubleshooting and where to start. Thanks!!

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Usually it's because the transducer has become loose in its mounting position. You may have to pop it out & re-epoxy it in place.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

I'm not sure where it's mounted. On the transom starboard side there is the spedometer sender, on the port side is a spinning pinwheel that I'm not sure what it is a sender for.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Depth transducer is mounted under the motor. Looks like a hockey puck.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Great thanks!

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Aloha, i did have the same problem and it was excactly like Mikey said, the transducer came loose from the hull :mad:

ShabahZ250 posted this pic too help me find mine, couldnt find it either :punch_out:

Attachment 2566

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Thanks for the help! I'll check that first thing tomorrow. This z240 we got has some electrical problems to fix. The courtesy lights, dock lights do not work, air temp is inop and water temp reads too high. Hopefully I can get these things fixed one at a time :wink_thumbup:

Re: Depth finder inop
 

the { spinning wheel } is for your trip odometer

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Thanks for the info!

Re: Depth finder inop
 

I just finished repairing my depth finder and it was not an easy process. i had initially thought that the transducer had come loose or developed a crack in the epoy seal as it was still quite firmly in position. After i pried it up of the floor i tested it in a pail of water and found that the transducer itself was at fault. Seems the wire where it goes into the transducer itself was making intermittent contact and the trasducer would only work (you can hear the clicking as the transducer is working) when the wire was held in a certain way. Found a replacement transducer on ebay and thought i would have an easy fix. Hooked up the new transducer and it worked so all that was left was to glue it into place. Not the easiest place to glue it into place but if you only had to do it once it would not be too bad. Cleaned and sanded the mounting pad and glued it into place with 3M 5200 polyurethane adhesive. Checked the unit and it worked after i installed it but after 24 hours of cure the transponder could not longer get a singal through the hull. perhaps as the adhesive dries it creates a void or becomes no longer acuostically transparent. fortunately the 3M adhesive stays somewhat flexible so it was not hard to remove (again) and clean the mounting area (again). This time it was a slow cure epoxy (allows air bubbles to dissipate as it cures) with a little 'dam' around the transducer area so the epoxy does not all run out as it cures. After all this fishing the wire back up to the dash seemed easy. End result is that after 4 years with an intermittent depth finder i finally have my contiuous depth reading back.....

Re: Depth finder inop
 

You must use epoxy to secure the transponder because it remains acoustically transparent after curing.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Exactly what i learned the hard way. Somewhere i had read to use the 3M 5200 adhesive instead of epxoy. just goes to show you that you can't believe everything you see on the internet.....

Re: Depth finder inop
 

I had the boat out this weekend and the depth finder worked most of the time. Who knows. It might not be worth tearing into it.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Its not a difficult job to remove & reset the transducer but the access to it can be a little tight.

Tis your boat & your call on repairing it so that it works all of the time. Personally i dont like the idea of grounding my outdrive.....

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Good point.

Yes I've found my 6'3" frame doesn't fit well in the engine compartment. It sounds like a good winter job.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Just remember you can't test to make sure it works in the water during the winter! ;)

Re: Depth finder inop
 

I found the transducer under the engine. I can pull it up by the wire, but I'm not sure I can get an arm down there to expoxy it to the hull.

Would waterproof silicone work to reattach it?

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Sorry, but what part of "You must use epoxy' didn't you understand? ;)

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Okay okay.. :)

Thanks everyone for their patience with this Mariah newbie!

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Update!

I expoxy-ed the transducer back down in the hull today. I'll let you know if it fixes it when we take it out this weekend!

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Is there any particular epoxy that anyone recommends?
Also, how good can they get? Do the factory ones work when you're on plane in choppy water?

Mine hasn't ever worked constantly and we've always just lived with it but I'm starting to lean towards re-epoxying (even though it feels solid) it after some of the comments in here.

Re: Depth finder inop
 

i read somewhere (not the same place that said to use the 3M 5200) that you should use a slow cure epoxy and not one of the quick 5 minute or 30 minute cure ones. The reasoning behind the slower cure is that it should give the air bubbles time to disapate before the epxoy hardens. You should also make sure you mix the epoxy very slowly to avoid creating any air bubbles as you'd be surprised at how many you can create if you mix the epoxy with any kind of vigour. if you can i would recomment building a small 'dam' on the low side of the mounting area just outside of where you're mounting the transducer (not directly under it) with any silicone sealant to try and prevent all the epoxy from running out as the epoxy cures. Also make sure you hold the transducer down with some significant weight as it cures ( i used a stack of 1 1/4" ID metal washers) to ensure that the trasnducer doesn't move or separate slightly as it cures. This all sounds so easy as you read it but if you know where it goes under the engine in the bilge i'm sure you will realize its not as easy as it sounds. Also make sure you get in there before gluing and clean the old epoxy off the mounting surface as well as the transducer before you begin.
Before you do anything i would highly recommend that you test the old transducer in a pail of water to ensure that it is still working! I went through the exercise before i re-epoxied mine (after prying it off the hull) and found that the trasnducer was defective. it would really suck to have gone through all that work and found out you just re-epoxied a dead transducer onto your hull....
As for working in choppy water and on plane i have found that as long as the stern is touching the water and you are not doing any wild turns or manuevers the depth finder will give a consistent reading all the way up to my top speed of 55 mph. i believe that the PD-N transducer on the 3500 depth finder is rated for up to 70 mph depending on depth (deeper water would require lower speeds).

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Depth finder worked perfect today! Thanks for the tip to fix it! :-D

Re: Depth finder inop
 

Another satisfied customer! :rolling_laugh:

Re: Depth finder inop
 

I did use the 5 min expoxy though and had no problem with air bubbles.